


This is Where Life Begins

by hayj



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28157730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hayj/pseuds/hayj
Summary: P.A. Charlie Matheson moves to Jasper Indiana, opening a much-needed clinic in the rural community. However, she finds her life turned upside down when her neighbor dies, making her the guardian of her infant daughter, not to mention her growing attraction to the Dubois County, Sheriff, Bass Monroe.
Relationships: Charlie Matheson/Bass Monroe
Comments: 21
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

The high pitched cry of a baby’s wail echoed through the grocery store, causing Charlie to wince. Placing her foot on the bottom of the cart she rolled it back and forth, but eight months old Chloe was having none of it. She was hungry, tired, and completely over it. Her tiny hands were balled into fists and tears leaked for the corners of her eyes that were squeezed shut. 

“One twenty-five fifty sixty,” the clerk said, ringing up the last item. Charlie fumbled with her wallet while desperately searching for the pacifier buried somewhere in the car seat underneath Chloe. That was the last time she didn’t attach it to her outfit. Fingers brushing against plastic, she yanked it out and wiggled it against the baby’s lips grateful when she latched on and began to suck on it furiously. 

With an audible sigh, Charlie swiped her credit card through the machine then shoved her wallet back into her purse. A last-minute patient had arrived at the clinic throwing her entire schedule off. She had barely made it to the daycare to pick up Chloe before it closed and the grocery store had been an unfortunate but necessary stop. She had no formula at home and was down to her last few diapers. 

Chloe suddenly spit out the pacifier with a trembling chin. 

Shit. 

Pushing the cart back and forth, Charlie mentally urged the receipt to print faster. Dumping her bags into the cart she grabbed the receipt from the clerk and rushed out the doors just as Chloe let loose

Damn.

Where was her car? She was sure she had come in on the right-hand side so headed in that direction. Weak lights illuminated the area as Charlie’s stomach rumbled. It was way past dinner time for both of them. 

The night was cool, so she tucked the baby’s blanket up around her as she moved to the far side of the lot. “Just a few more minutes and we’ll be home, sweetness, promise.” 

Her smaller car was hidden between two hulking SUV’s and the overhead light that she’d purposely parked under was out. No wonder she wasn’t able to find it right away. 

Digging her keys out of her purse, she hit the fob, watching as the trunk swung open. With a shiver, Charlie considered putting Chloe in the car but knew she would only scream and she was quiet for the moment as the movement of the cart soothed her. 

Grabbing the diapers from the cart, Charlie threw them into the trunk along with her purse, before turning back and to pick up a couple of reusable shopping bags as Chloe began to fuss now that she wasn’t moving. “Give me just a minute, sweetie,” Charlie soothed. 

The hair on the back of her neck stood up at the sound of crunching glass. Straightening, she spun around coming face to face with a man dressed in black his face covered by a ski mask. He lifted his arm and suddenly she was looking down the barrel of a gun. 

Chloe whimpered, drawing the man’s attention away from Charlie. She glanced around the parking lot finding it empty as she took a step sideways putting herself between Chloe and the man. Her chest heaved with shallow gasps as she backed up until her back hit the handle of the shopping cart. 

“Here,” she said, holding out her keys. “Take it. My purse is in the trunk.”

She watched as his mouth twisted into a smile causing her chin to tremble. 

The man took a step closer and Charlie gripped the shopping bags, heavy with formula hanging from her wrists. 

“Please. Just take the car and go.” This time she threw the keys at him, and as he instinctively tried to catch them, Charlie swung the shopping bags. The force of the blows knocked the gun from his hand and it clattered to the pavement. Charlie swung again, aiming for his head. This time he stumbled and fell back. 

Spinning on her heel, Charlie grabbed the shopping cart and took off. Just as she opened her mouth to scream, something tackled her. Losing her grip on the cart, it flew across the parking lot, the babies cry turning frantic

Charlie hit the asphalt, pain exploding throughout her body, robbing her of breath as the attacker fell next to her. Tears stung her eyes as she struggled for breath, listening to the baby’s cries echo across the parking lot. 

She struggled to her feet but the man grabbed her ankle, his gloved hand gripping hard enough to bruise the bone. Twisting, she kicked out with her other foot, catching him on the shoulder. The man yanked and Charlie scrambled to find purchase as the ground rushed towards her. Her palms scraped against the asphalt and her head bounced off the side of a car's bumper causing a flash of pain to explode inside her head. She felt the man grab her by her hair and the pavement flew up to meet her. The world went black.

* * *

Bass joined the back of the checkout line and scanned the grocery store not detecting any threats, not that there would be many in Jasper, Indiana. A fact he had to remind himself of over and over. Years of working undercover in Chicago with Miles had made him hyper-aware and extra vigilant. 

At the end of the counter, the teenager bagging groceries paused, lifting a canvas sack. “Doc Matheson forgot her bag.”

Charlotte? His heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t seen her since the adoption proceedings.

Bass stepped out of line and placed his items on the next register. “I’ll take it to her, Billy.”

Grabbing the bag, he made his way to the sliding doors. The moment they opened, he tensed. A baby’s screams carried on the wind that had picked up since he’d been in the store and it was frantic. There was no way Charlie would have left Chloe crying like that. Dropping the bag in his hand to the sidewalk, he ran towards the sound in a crouch. A shopping cart sat against a vehicle at an odd angle. The baby’s hands and feet waved from the carrier still resting on top. 

Charlie was nowhere in sight. 

He wanted nothing more than to scoop Chloe up and comfort her, but first, he had to find her mom. Pulling his gun, he kept moving. Canvas bags were spread around, their contents spilled onto the pavement. 

A few vehicles down, Charlie was lying on the ground, a man in a ski mask crouched over her. 

“Freeze!” Bass yelled, pointing his gun at the attacker. “Police!”

The man raised his head, his eyes meeting Bass’ then bolted, scurrying between two cars, and grabbed something from an open trunk. 

“Freeze!” Bass ordered again, but the man disappeared into the shadows, his footsteps fading. 

His instincts were to take off after the attacker but he refused to leave Charlie and the baby. Dropping to his knees next to her he held his breath as he checked for a pulse. 

“Thank fuck,” he muttered, feeling the throb of her heart against his fingers. 

Pulling out his phone, he rattled off his id, requesting an ambulance and additional units. He gave them a description of the attacker, what little he had seen, and the direction he had fled. 

He looked up as voices filtered across the parking lot and Billy and a customer came around the corner. They spotted Bass and Charlie at the same time. “Billy, check the baby.” 

The young man raced to the stray shopping cart. 

“Is she hurt?”

“No, she looks okay,” the teen said, steering the cart over. Bass pushed to his feet, his leg screaming in protest.

The baby’s wails had quieted as she shoved a tiny fist in her mouth, her face still red from her exertions. 

“Go inside and get me your first-aid kit, please,” he asked the boy. 

Jasper was a small town with limited resources and the grocery store was on the outskirts. It could take fifteen minutes before an ambulance arrived and Charlie needed tending to now. 

Pulling a burp cloth out of the diaper bag that had spilled in the bottom of the cart, he bent down to examine her. There was so much blood on her face, he needed to find out where it was coming from. Careful not to jostle her, he brushed his fingers along her skull finding a gash on her scalp. He pressed the cloth to the gash and watched as her eyelids fluttered. 

“Stay with me, Charlie.”

* * *

Charlie signed the discharge papers with a wince. Her scraped palms stung and her entire body ached. 

In the parking lot, she had regained consciousness with Bass hovering over her, immediately assuring her that Chloe was alright. The ER doctor had also checked her over before tending to Charlie’s injuries. 

She hurriedly made her way to the waiting room, breathing a sigh of relief when she spotted Bass and Chloe through the glass doors. Bass was leaning against the wall, his curls hidden underneath his cowboy hat along with a five o’clock shadow gracing his jaw as he cradled a sleeping Chloe.

“Are you okay?” he asked, meeting her halfway. 

“I’m fine. Just a few stitches,” she assured him. 

Holding out her hands, he carefully shifted Chloe to her arms and watched as Charlie cuddled her close, kissing the riot of curls on the girl’s head. He swallowed at the thought of what could have happened. 

“Bass, I don’t know how to thank you,” she said a lump forming in her throat as tears threatened to fall. 

Bass pulled her to him, pressing a kiss against her temple as his hand brushed over Chloe’s head. “There’s no need to thank me. I’m just grateful that neither of you was seriously hurt.” 

“Me too,” Charlie whispered looking up at him. 

“Come on, let’s get the two of you home,” he said, moving to gather their things. 

Hustling them outside, his truck was right where his officers had left it. The temperature had dropped and Charlie’s hands were icy by the time they got the car seat situated and Bass helped her in the cab. 

Walking around the truck he climbed in beside her. “I’m exhausted,” she murmured as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot. 

“I think that’s normal after the day you’ve had. But seriously, Charlie, are you okay? I thought for sure you’d have a concussion.” 

“I’m okay,” she assured him. “Nothing, some aspirin won’t help.”

She took advantage of him paying attention to the road to study his profile. She had gotten over her schoolgirl crush on him years ago, but since moving to Jasper last year, whenever he walked into a room her heartbeat just a little bit faster and she didn’t know what to do about it other than to pretend it wasn’t happening. 

“Do you want me to call Angie?” he asked. “I could have her meet us at your house?”

“No. It’s late. There’s no need to bother her,” Charlie insisted. 

She and Bass’ youngest sister had become fast friends over the last year and Charlie couldn’t be more grateful to the Monroe family for taking her under their wing the way that they had. 

Granted their families had been friends for years so it wasn’t a surprise, but Charlie was still thankful for the support system. 

“I’m sorry I had to run out on you after the adoption hearing.” 

Charlie waved her hand. “Everything went off without a hitch. Heather naming me as Chloe’s guardian simplified things. I just wish her murder investigation was going as quickly.”

Heather Matthews, Chloe’s mother had been shot in cold blood in the middle of nowhere, Jasper five months ago. 

“The detectives are running down every lead.” 

“I know,” Charlie sighed, turning her head to look at the darkened landscape.

* * *

Bass snuck a look at Charlie out of the corner of his eye. Her head rested against the back of the seat and her eyes were shut. The delicate curve of her cheek was marred by a bruise. Ten to one she was hurting and too stubborn to admit it. Whoever attached her was going to get their due. 

He would make sure of it. 

Driving through the neighborhood he had grown up in, Bass pulled into the Matheson driveway. The house he had grown up in was a few yards down. After Miles’ parents had died, Miles had bought out Ben's share and eventually deeded the house to Charlie when she decided that Jasper was where she was going to set up shop. Scanning the area around the house, all seemed quiet. 

Charlie opened her eyes with a wince, lifting a hand to her head. 

Bass frowned. “I’m calling Angie.” 

Charlie lay a hand on his arm. “Please don’t. I just need some pain meds and sleep. That’s all.”

With a nod, he turned off the engine. “Let’s get you both inside.”

Rounding the truck, he opened her door and waited as she removed a sleeping Chloe’s car seat.

“I’ll take her,” Bass said, his fingers brushing against Charlie’s as he grasped the handle of the carrier, his heart fluttering at the contact.

“Here are your keys,” he said, handing them to her. “A patrolman found them in the parking lot.” 

Charlie frowned. “And my car is still there. I’ll need it in the morning. And my groceries,” she groaned.

“Your groceries are in my truck, although I don’t think everything survived. Is mom watching Chloe for you tomorrow?”

“Yes. Your mother is a godsend. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to open the clinic on Saturdays and it’s made a huge difference to my patients.” 

“Then I’ll pick you up in the morning, take you to your car, and Chloe out to mom. That way you can sleep a little longer.” 

Bass sat the baby carrier on the dining room table as Charlie flipped on several lights before unstrapping the baby who was still asleep. 

‘I’ll check your doors and windows before I leave. Make sure everything is secure.” 

Charlie bit her lip. “Thank you, Bass. I know it’s probably silly to be worried.” 

Bass ran a hand down her arm. “Not at all. I’ll start in Chloe’s room that way you can lay her down and I won’t wake her.”

In the nursery, Bass checked the windows before moving on to the other rooms, inspecting every entry point. When he circled back to the front door he opened it. He scanned the street noting everything. 

He made his way down the walkway to his truck to retrieve Charlie’s groceries, thoughts of what might have happened had he not interrupted the attack making his stomach churn. 

Sitting the bags on her dining room table as the headlights of a slow-moving vehicle crept down the street, Bass moved the side of the curtain barely an inch. He relaxed as the nearby streetlight reflected off the Jasper police department logo. 

“What are you looking at?” Charlie asked, making her way down the stairs. 

“Patrol car. I asked for special patrols around your house tonight.”

“You thought of everything.”

Tapping on his badge, he gave her a playful smirk. “It’s my job, Ma’am.”

Charlie grinned and his breathing hitched. She was so beautiful. It hit him every time he looked at her. Forever his best friend’s baby niece, he now saw her as the full-grown woman she was. He had debated coming clean about his feelings but held back. Getting involved with Charlie was a dangerous proposition at best. 

“I’m going to make some tea, would you like some? I’ve got a tin of those Danish butter cookies you like so much.” 

“Oh, well, if there are cookies involved, I’m in.”

Pulling out a tin of cookies from the pantry, Charlie removed the lid, placing the container on the counter beside him. 

“I bet you didn’t think a quick run to the store would end up with you saving a damsel in distress.” 

Bass snorted, fishing a sugar-coated cookie out of the tin. “You are no damsel, Charlie.”

Popping the cookie in his mouth, he dug his beeping phone out of his pocket. “They found your purse. Money and credit cards are gone, along with your cell phone but the rest appears to be intact.”

“Well, that’s one small favor. The last thing I needed was a trip to the DMV. I called the bank from the hospital and there were no fraudulent charges as of yet. They’ll cancel my cards and issue me new ones.” 

Bass watched as she tensed up during their conversation. 

“So, tell me the truth,” he said seriously, his brows dipping. “Just how stupid is my tux for Angie’s wedding. Are we talking about bow ties and suspenders or just the stupid belt?”

Charlie’s mouth turned up as her shoulders lowered a notch. “No tux, just a suit, and your boots if you want them. However, if your mother gets involved all bets are off.”

Bass groaned. “I don’t stand a chance against the females in my family.”

Charlie chuckled at the truthfulness of his comment. 

They spent the next twenty minutes joking and talking about the upcoming wedding. When Charlie suddenly yawned, quickly covering her mouth, Bass sat his mug down. “I’m going to head out so you can get some rest.”

Charlie followed him to the door. “Thanks for everything, Bass.” 

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to the forehead. “Don’t forget to arm your security system.” 

“I won’t.”

The door closed behind him and he waited on the front porch until he heard the lock slide into place. Making his way to his truck he climbed in and started the engine. Pulling out of the driveway he circled the block. Everything was quiet. Chances are the attacker in the parking lot was looking for a quick buck and attacked Charlie for her cash and jewelry but something about the incident left a bad taste in Bass’ mouth. There was something that just wasn’t right. 

Pulling his phone out of his pocket he placed a call. 

“Hey, Jeremy, sorry to call so late but I have a favor to ask.”


	2. Chapter 2

The man tightened his hand around the hilt of the knife. Across the street, Charlie pulled Chloe from the back of a pickup truck. 

So close. He’d been so close.

He’d planned everything for weeks. An attack that would have solved all his problems in one fell swoop. Watching Charlie, he ground his teeth together. She had ruined everything. Everything!

Clenching his fist he took a deep breath. He couldn't lose control now. That was when mistakes were made and things were already bad enough. 

Bass Monroe was a problem. A huge problem. 

He didn't know the Sheriff personally, but he's done enough research to have learned two things. His family was close to Charles and he wasn't just another backwoods hick. He wasn’t to be underestimated. 

Lights came on in the house and he watched the Sheriff move from room to room, making sure the house was secure. 

He scoffed. 

As if he would be so stupid as to do anything tonight. He needed time to think, to plan. His gaze flicked to the baby's room, the nightlight giving off a soft glow. 

Charlie appeared in the upstairs window parting the curtains as she looked out over the street. 

He was disgusted that she had fought him. What had she been thinking? He would have to punish her for that. He would make sure of that. 

The door to the house opened and Bass came out. He stood on the porch and scanned the street. 

He smirked to himself. He was smarter than all of them. If the Sheriff became a problem he would take care of him too. Plan A hadn’t worked, but that was okay. It was time for plan B.

* * *

Bass parked his truck on the far side of Willams Grocers. The lot was empty save for one other vehicle and Charlie's car. Settling his hat on his head to shade his eyes from the morning sun he grabbed the coffees he had picked up on the way over. 

He smiled as Jeremy Baker pushed off the side of his government-issued sedan, handing him a coffee. 

“Thanks for making the drive down.” 

“Not a problem,” Jeremy replied, taking a sip of his coffee. “I'm always happy to have an IOU from you in my back pocket.”

Bass snorted. “Right now you're down by three so don’t get too excited.” 

“I already talked to my boss. Seeing as how the Sheriff of this fine county is requesting our help, he's agreed to allow me to take the lead on the investigation. How’s Charlie? Does Miles know yet?” 

“She’s shaken but refuses to call her family over an ‘unfortunate incident.’”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Fucking mini-miles,” he muttered. “Is this her car?” he asked with a wave of his hand. 

“Yup.” 

Bass relayed the incident in detail, pointing out where the baby had been and where Charlie was lying when he found her. 

In the daylight, the bloody details were grimly visible. The image of the attacker standing over her had tormented him all night. If he had been just a few seconds later. 

“What kind of jewelry was she wearing?” 

Bass forced his attention away from the bloodstains. “Her grandmother's. Doc porter gave it to her when she graduated from college. Diamond pendant and ring. The deputy that took her initial statement believes that's why she was attacked.” 

“You said something about the scene was bugging you. Figure it out?”

“Maybe,” Bass replied, rocking back on one heel. “The robbery almost felt like an afterthought. The perp stole her purse as he was running away. He hasn’t used her credit cards and didn't steal her ID.”

“You think this is personal?”

Bass gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I'd like to rule it out.” 

“The case sounds similar to ones in Bloomington,” Jeremy said. “Perp wearing all black including a ski mask using a gun. He targets women, snatching their purses and sometimes their jewelry, and they’ve all taken place in parking lots like this one.” 

“But?”

“Not once did he ever bother to take out the light.” 

Glass crunched under Bass’ boot as he moved closer to Charlie's car. The hood and roof were sprinkled with remnants of the light she’d parked under. His mouth flattened. “That's not easy to do,'' he replied, looking between the car and the light.

“No, it’s not,'' Jeremy agreed. 

“So, he took out the light for extra protection. Maybe because Charlie could identify him?”

“Possibly. I mean if he was just after her purse and car, the clothes and ski mask would have been enough. However, there are some inconsistencies between this crime and the others. All the other women described the perp as being around five eight and two hundred and fifty pounds.” 

Bass shook his head, “Not this guy. He was over six feet. Maybe two hundred pounds.”

“There's one more thing. The third woman he attempted to rob fought back.” 

“Was she hurt?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Perp ran away. It doesn't necessarily mean this isn't connected but coupled with the different physical descriptions, I’m inclined to think this wasn't the same guy. Maybe two men working together or maybe you're right and this was a personal attack made to look like something else.”

Bass’ gaze gravitated back to the bloodstain and his stomach tightened. “How much of the information you gave me was in the papers.” 

“All of it,” Jeremy replied grimily. “Is there any reason why someone would want to attack Charlie?”

“Not that I know of, but we still haven’t solved the murder of Chloe’s mother yet.” 

“You think they're connected?”

Bass crossed his arms over his chest. “Let’s just say I find the timing suspicious. Charlie has set up a reward for information leading to an arrest and suddenly she’s attacked. Maybe someone wants us to think that these cases aren’t related when they actually are.”

Jeremy frowned at his friend. “That’s a bit of a stretch, Bass.”

“But not impossible,” Bass countered.

“No,” Jeremy replied, going quiet for a moment. “Listen, chances are this is connected to the other robberies but this is Charlie we’re talking about. I’ll put a rush on the gun recovered from the scene. Maybe we’ll get lucky, get some prints or get a hit on the ballistics. Do you think you can get me a look at Heather’s file? Never hurts to make sure nothing was missed. Besides if someone is trying to silence Charlie to prevent Heather's case from being solved, the more people looking into it the better. Because if Miles finds out it’ll take more than a few IOU’S to cover up the bloodshed.” 

Bass’ head pounded at the thought of Miles finding out without having any answers for him. Thank God for Jeremy. “Consider it done. And Jeremy, I appreciate it.” 

Jeremy grinned giving the man a wink. “Are you kidding? When this is all over with I’ll get an IOU from both you and Miles.”

* * *

“So it’s not Ebola?”

Charlie shifted Chloe in her arms, struggling to keep the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she opened the garage door. Wednesdays were supposed to be her day off, a trade since she worked Saturdays, but who was she kidding, this was the third call from a patient today. 

“No, it's definitely not Ebola. In fact Mr. Mayfair, you’re healthier than most men half your age. As I said in the office yesterday I suspect it's a simple virus. You just need plenty of fluids and rest.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Mr. Mayfair. Unfortunately, Web MD doesn't always give you an accurate diagnosis.” 

As Charlie strapped Chloe into her car seat, she heard the man mutter something about no good doctors, and then he hung up.

Shaking her head with a chuckle, she suddenly gasped as a shadow loomed over her. Spinning around, she tripped over her feet as she scrambled to catch her phone. 

A hand reached out to steady her. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Mr. Dixon, you startled me.”

“I'm sorry, I called your name but I guess you didn't hear me.” 

“Oh, sorry,” Carlie murmured as Chloe fussed. “I haven't seen you around lately. We missed you at church on Sunday.” 

“We're short-handed at the moment so I've picked up some extra shifts.” 

“Oh,” Charlie commented as she waved at the patrol car rolling past. 

“They've been around a lot the last few days. Any idea what's going on?”

“I was robbed Saturday night at the grocery store.” 

His eyes widened at the news. “Really? What happened? I assume you’re all right?”

“My purse was stolen. The guy got away but it's still under investigation,” she explained to him, as she had everyone else that had asked. 

“That’s horrible,” George replied. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.” 

“Thanks, me too,” Charlie smiled. “Did you need to talk about something in particular or were you just stopping by?”

“Oh, no I hate to bother you.”

“It's no bother what’s up?”

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “It's my mother. Her numbers are terrible. She’s not taking her meds and she's been sneaking sweets even though she knows it's not good for her.” 

Charlie scanned the paper. “I can see why you're concerned. These are much higher than they should be.”

“Is there any way you can talk to her? My brother’s back in the house and he doesn’t take her condition seriously, so it’s been a struggle.” 

Charlie gave him an understanding smile; his criminal of a younger brother was nothing but trouble. She handed the paper back. “Bring her in sometime this week. Hopefully, between the two of us, we’ll convince her this has to be taken seriously.” 

“I work most days and it's a bit of a drive to get her and back. There's no way I'd be able to make it during office hours.” 

“Not a problem. Just call Kim and let her know what day you can make it and I’ll stay late.”

“Thank you, Charlie. That really means a lot.” 

“Of course. It's no problem.” Opening her car door she tossed her purse in the passenger seat. 

“There is one more thing. I was cleaning my gutters last week and noticed there's a hole in Heather’s eave. I’ve seen some squirrels around and wonder if they’ve made a nest in her attic.”

Charlie's gaze went to the house across the street. It was next door to George's and he had been helping her keep an eye on it. She was waiting on her case to make it through the probate courts before she could sell it. 

Charlie glanced at her watch. “Thanks for letting me know. Unfortunately, I’m running late so I’ll have to check on it later.”

* * *

Angie blew a curl off her face and eyed herself in the floor-length mirror. “Jesus Christ,'' she muttered, getting a good look at the wedding dress she was trying on. 

Charlie choked back her laughter. “The feathers are a bit much.”

“A bit?” Angie chuckled. “Chloe and I could go to the Halloween festival as zoo animals. Just watch, two out of my five crazy relatives will love it.” Lifting her skirt she marched out of the dressing area to a chorus of ahhs and one emphatic no. 

“But Mama, I feel positively royal,” Angie declared. 

Charlie clapped a hand over her mouth to hold in her laughter. Moments later, Angie strolled back in her eyes twinkling. 

“You're terrible,” Charlie whispered, wiping her eyes. 

“If they're going to make me try on the most hideous wedding dresses known to man, I might as well have fun with it,” she proclaimed, presenting her back, so Charlie could unzip her. “Besides, while they’re fighting we can chit chat. Has there been any news about the attack?” 

“Not yet,” Charlie sighed, unzipping the dress. 

“You know, Greg’s been wanting to see that new action flick down at the Warren theater. Why don’t you and Bass go with us.” 

“Angie,” Charlie warned, drawing the girl's name out. 

“What. You have been spending an awful lot of time together lately. You're even going to the Halloween festival together.” 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “You know as well as I do that Miles will have Bass’ balls if anything happens to me.” 

Angie handed the dress to the attendant waiting just outside the door. “Well, far be it for me to rock the boat, but I've seen the way you look at him sometimes. There's definitely a spark there and has been since you moved to town.”

Charlie's cheeks flushed pink. If Angie had noticed the attraction to Bass who else had? Had Bass?

“Now, it’s obvious to me because I’ve known you since you were a baby.” 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Your entire family has known me since I was a baby.” 

A knock at the door interrupted them and Gail stuck her head inside the dressing room. “Charlie, can I borrow Chloe, please? I thought it might be nice if the flower girl had a tiara.” 

“Of course,” Charlie replied to the woman warmly as Chloe bounced in her stroller as she caught sight of the woman. Gail was one of Chloe's favorite people and was rewarded with an open-mouthed smile. 

Gail maneuvered the stroller out of the dressing room before looking back at the two friends “You two pokies get a move on. The store is closing early tonight for the festival and we’ll never get done at this pace.”

“You know she’ll pick the biggest tiara possible.” 

Charlie shrugged. “I don’t mind her wanting to spoil my daughter. It's more than my mother’s done. Now you heard her, let's get a move on,” Charlie said taking the next dress from the rack.

“Hold on now,” Angie said as she and Charlie got her into the dress. “We didn't finish our conversation. Are you telling me there's no chance you'd ever date Bass?”

“I think we're just fine the way we are. Besides, you don’t want me dating your brother. I suck at romance.”

“Maybe you just haven't found the right person,” Angie said as Charlie zipped her up. 

Charlie snorted. “That's what people who are about to get married say.” 

Angie's hands flew to her cheeks and groaned. “Oh no! I've become one of those women haven't I?”

“You're forgiven,'' Charlie answered with a smile. “That dress, however,” she said with a grimace. 

Angie turned to the mirror with an aggravated sigh. “This is even worse than the last one. Maybe I should just elope.” 

“Don't even think about it,'' Charlie warned. “Besides, you only have a few weeks to go.” 

“Thank God,” Angie muttered, heading towards the door. Before she stepped out she turned to her friend. “Hey Charlie, we're all adults here. It's okay if you have feelings for him.” 

Charlie stood rooted to the spot as she swirled away, letting that pronouncement bounce around in her head. She was still turning over that thought in her head when a scream tore through the store. Several more followed as Charlie raced from the dressing room. 

Angie's aunt lay dazed and bleeding on the floor as people rushed to her side. Others, like Gail and Angie, were moving towards the front of the store as a man in a clown suit ran out of the store pushing a stroller. 

Her stroller. With Chloe in it. 

Sprinting out of the door, Charlie raced after him screaming. “Stop that man! He's kidnapped my baby!”

* * *

The lingering sunlight cast long shadows as Bass made his way to the bridal store. The festival was kicking off and parents with children in costumes waved as they crossed the parking lot towards Main street which had been closed down for the activities. The scent of popcorn mingling with leaves and pumpkin spice filled the air, reminding him of his childhood. After being away for so long, it was good to be home. 

As he rounded the corner of the store, he saw his sister on the sidewalk speaking rapidly into her phone. Inside the shop, a group of women gathered around someone on the floor. 

Bass started running. 

Angie spotted him coming. “Oh Bass, thank God, a guy dressed as a clown kidnapped Chloe, Charlies chasing him, I'm on the phone with 911”

“Which way?” 

She pointed and he ran. How far had they gotten? Was he too late? Weaving through people, he darted into an alley between two buildings. On the other side, people were looking and pointing. He caught a glimpse of Charlie's hair just before it disappeared. 

He continued to run after her. “Sheriff’s Department! Move!” He shouted at people on the sidewalk, swerving around people who were in his way. A sharp pain stabbed his thigh as he took a corner, bouncing off it, scraping his arm as well. Once again Charlie came into view as well as the man in the clown costume. 

He added another burst of speed and passed Charlie. The man was headed for the parking lot on the far side of Main street. He had to catch him before he drove away with Chloe.

Just.Another.Few inches.

Bass reached out, his fingers brushing against the costume's silky fabric. The man glanced back, his eyes wide, and made a sharp turn. Bass tried to match it but his thigh, already pushed beyond its limit, gave way and he stumbled. 

The clown darted down a small path into the park and disappeared. Bass took a shortcut through a set of flowerbeds, Charlie right behind him. He burst through the trees and skidded to a stop, scanning the crowd for a clown but saw nothing. 

Beside him, chest heaving, Charlie cried out, “Where is he?”

Bass bolted for the nearest booth. “Did you see a clown pushing a stroller?”

One man pointed, “He went that way.”

Bass ran through the playground and a flash of red caught his attention. In his haste to get away from Bass, the kidnapper had diverted towards the far side of the festival where officers stood directing traffic on the busy street. The kidnapper was heading straight for them.

“Stop that man!” Charlie screamed from behind him. “Kidnapper!”

The other officers broke into a run. 

The kidnapper shoved the stroller.

It bounced across the pavement barely slowing as it careened into traffic with Chloe still inside. 

Charlie watched in horror as a truck barreled towards her daughter.

Bass surged forward and launched himself at the stroller.

Together they flew towards the opposite sidewalk. 

Bass hit the ground and rolled as the sound of screeching tires muffled Charlie's screams. 


	3. Chapter 3

More than an hour later, Charlie's pulse still wouldn’t settle as the image of the truck headed for Chloe and Bass played over and over in her head. 

She paced the length of the conference room inside the  Dubois County  Sheriff’s department as Chloe wriggled and fussed in her arms, tired of being held. Grabbing a rattle off the table, Charlie shook it, not yet willing to put her down. 

The Sheriff’s station was mostly empty, as the majority of the deputies, including Bass, were at the festival searching for the kidnapper. Bass’ father, Bill, stood guard next to the doorway.

“It's been over an hour since they took my statement. Do you think they've learned anything new?”

Bill smiled at her softly. “These things take time, Charlotte. Bass will give us an update when he can. Until then, we just have to be patient.” 

Charlie sighed. Waiting gave her too much time to think.

Just as she resumed her pacing, Gail came bustling into the room. “I've got coffee, sandwiches, and your favorite soup, Charlie,” she announced, her long skirt flowing around her ankles. 

Stomach in knots, Charlie gave the woman a friendly smile. “It smells wonderful. Thank you.”

Charlie's phone beeped and she snatched it off the table. “It’s Angie. Aunt Nan is fine. No serious injuries but the doctors want her to take it easy.”

“Thank goodness,” Gail said to no one in particular, seconding Charlie’s thoughts. They were incredibly lucky that no one had gotten hurt. 

Charlie didn’t know how she was supposed to keep Chloe safe. This person had attempted to kidnap her daughter in broad daylight surrounded by people. 

Through the glass she saw Bass walk into the police station, limping slightly though he would never admit to it. His hair was mussed and bore a slight ring from his missing hat. She could see a scrape across his jaw as he walked towards them. From his flattened lips to his tense shoulders Charlie knew the kidnapper had gotten away. 

“Oh, dear,” Gail sighed, coming to the same conclusion. 

Entering the room, he focused on Charlie. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I wanted to make sure we hadn’t missed anything.” 

“Do you have anything to go on?” his father asked.

Bass shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair. “Between the clown costume and the makeup, no one could identify him. When he pushed the stroller away from him, everyone was so focused on Chloe he was able to just disappear.” 

“Charlotte, honey,” Gail said, “why don’t you and Chloe stay with us tonight. With Billy and Bass at the farm, there'll be plenty of protection.” 

“More than tonight,” Bill echoed, “You'll stay with us until everything is sorted out.” 

Charlie shook her head, looking at her grandparent’s dearest friends. “I couldn’t possibly put your family in danger.”

Bass took a step towards her. “The farm is the best place for you and Chloe, plus you’ll be able to leave Chloe with mom and dad while you see your patients.” 

Even though she had already planned to cancel most of her appointments tomorrow, Bass was right. She simply couldn't close up shop indefinitely. 

“It's settled then,” Gail beamed. “Billy help me take all this to the break room, please while Charlie and Bass get things settled.” 

“Yes. Mother,” the man murmured, picking up the tray Gail had carried in earlier. 

The room cleared out leaving Bass and Charlie alone. Making his way towards them, Bass was surprised when Chloe threw herself towards him. Charlie could hardly blame her. She wanted to throw herself into his arms as well. 

Taking the baby from her mother, Bass patted her back smiling down at the little girl. “Glad to see you still like me, darling. I was afraid after your wild ride we wouldn't be friends anymore.” He shifted his attention to Charlie. “You're sure she’s alright? That she didn’t get hurt?”

“She's fine, thanks to you, Bass.” 

“I was this close to catching him and putting an end to this.”

“It’s not your fault,” Charlie assured him. “You saved Chloe and that’s what's important. You're a hero to both of us.” 

As his gaze met hers Charlie felt wrapped in safety. She knew Bass wouldn't let anything happen to her or Chloe. Reaching up, she grazed his jaw with her fingers. That’s a nasty scrape.”

“I’m fine,'' he replied gruffly, taking a step away from her. 

Charlie blushed, lowering her eyes to the floor. What the fuck was she doing. This was Bass, and from his reaction, she had definitely crossed a line. 

“You know, this kidnapping has me thinking about my attack at the grocery store,” she said once she was able to meet his eyes again. “The guy who assaulted me stared at Chloe. I didn't think much about it at the time, but now, I wonder if that's why he didn’t take my keys and only stole my purse at the end. He didn’t want my things. He wanted Chloe.” She paused watching his face. “But you already knew that didn’t you?” 

“I believe the two attacks are connected, yes. It explains why he chased after you when you ran and why he took your purse as an afterthought.” 

Charlie shuddered. “But why Bass? Why kidnap Chloe?”

Bass looked down at Chloe who patted his cheek and smiled, flashing her two tiny teeth. His chest squeezed tight at the image. 

If he’d been just seconds later. 

His gaze shifted back to Charlie. His own fears were reflected in her eyes. He hated to see her hurting.

“I promise you, Charlie, we're going to catch this guy.” 

It wasn’t in Bass’ nature to make promises given the nature of his job, but this was one promise he intended on keeping. But to do that, he had to stay focused and he’d felt Charlie’s touch clear to his toes. Their relationship was shifting. Had been for months, if he was honest. But now was not the time. Not with all the turmoil surrounding them. 

“Monroe, you look good with a baby,” Jeremy Baker said from the doorway. 

“I look good in every situation, Baker. Try not to be jealous.” 

Jeremy rolled his eyes with a snort, holding out his arms to Charlie who wrapped her hands around his waist. “Hey, Uncle Jeremy.”

“Hey, squirt. Good to see you. Wish it was under better circumstances though.” 

Charlie nodded pulling away. 

“Bass, can I speak to you for a moment?” 

“No!” Charlie exclaimed, pointing a finger at Jeremy. “Whatever information you have, I want to hear it. I can't keep Chloe safe if I don’t understand what I'm protecting her from.” 

“God damn stubborn Matheson’s,” Jeremy muttered.

“Let’s all sit down,” Bass suggested, ready to get off his leg. 

Chloe reached for Charlie and she pulled the baby into her lap. Bass took the chair next to them as Jeremy sat across the table. 

“The gun that was found at the scene of Charlie's attack is the same gun that killed Heather Matthews.”

Charlie’s stomach dropped. “You mean the person that killed Heather is now trying to kidnap her baby?”

“It looks that way. It was a good call on Bass’ part. If we hadn’t put a rush on it we might still be putting the pieces together.”

“You knew?” Charlie asked, turning to Bass. “You knew and you didn't say anything?”

“I wasn’t sure the two cases were actually connected. But with Heather having been murdered, I asked Jeremy to look into it for me.” 

Charlie rubbed her forehead. “Of course, I’m sorry I just…”

Bass grasped her shoulder. “I know. However, I thought you were the target. Not Chloe.” 

The baby banged on the table at the sound of her name. 

“What made you think I was the target?”

“Because you’ve been raising such a fuss over Heather’s murder. I was afraid whoever killed her wanted to shut you up. I was wrong.” 

“The question is,” Jeremy interjected, “who would kill Heather Matthews and then wait five months to kidnap her child. Did Chloe receive any kind of inheritance when Heather died?”   
  


Charlie shook her head. “Nothing. What little life insurance she had went to cover the cost of the funeral and her house is in probate.” 

“Ok, rule out a financial motive. What about Chloe’s father?”

“I don’t know. Heather never talked about him. All she would say was that he was in the military and was deployed. We were required to try and find him as part of the adoption process but weren't able to. I have no clue who he is.” 

Bass frowned. “The adoption was final two weeks ago. What would happen if he showed up now?”

“His rights were terminated. He’d have no claim on her,” Charlie replied.

Jeremy made a face. “Well, that might explain why she's being kidnapped.”

“But why wouldn't he have come forward before now. He could have stopped the adoption.” 

“If he killed Heather, he couldn't be assured that we wouldn't become suspicious. Especially with you pushing so hard to get her murder solved. Maybe he was scared.”

“And then time ran out,” Charlie whispered, going pale. 

“Now, the only way he can get her back is to kidnap her. He wants it to look like a carjacking gone wrong. You’re shot and Chloe disappears. What he didn’t count on was you fighting back.” 

“Or you rescuing me,” Charlie replied, her gaze locking with Bass’.

Jeremy cleared his throat. “So, any ideas on how we go about finding Chloe’s father?”

“Heather has a brother. Dillon Matthews. I’ve asked him about the father before but he swears he doesn’t know anything.”

“I’ll need his address,'' Bass said, pushing to his feet. 

“No, you won’t, because I’m coming with you.” 

“Charlie, that’s not a good idea.”

“Actually, it's a very good idea. Dillon’s been in trouble in the past and he’s a bit wary of cops. He’s not going to talk to you unless I’m there.” 

Jeremy looked at Bass with a smirk. “Matheson and Monroe ride again.”

* * *

Dillon Mathews lived out near the county line in the “West Side Trailer Park.” 

“Remember to do exactly as I told you,” Bass instructed Charlie as she turned into the sketchy neighborhood. 

Charlie rolled her eyes. “I already promised a dozen times, Bass. Dillon’s not a bad guy; he's just had a few bumps along the way.”

Bass frowned. If several arrests for breaking and entering, along with a history of drug use were her idea of bumps they were going to need to talk. 

“He lives on the end,” Charlie explained as they continued down the row, pulling into a surprisingly tidy lot, complete with a plant by the welcome mat. 

Bass recognized the boy from his arrest photos. In those, he was gaunt and sickly. The boy on the porch smoking a cigarette looked healthy. He wore a blue jumpsuit with “Boggs Yard Service” across the left pocket. 

Maybe Charlie was right and he had turned his life around.

Dillon lifted his hand in greeting as Charlie got out of the car. Bass was slower, his lep protesting every step of the way. 

“Hey, Charlie. Who's your friend?” 

Bass stepped forward extending his hand. “Bass Monroe.” 

Dillon didn’t move. “You're a cop.”

“Sheriff, actually.”

His face took on a look of concern as he turned to Charlie. “What's wrong?” He asked, his voice rising. “Where's Chloe?” You never come without Chloe.” 

“Chloe's fine, absolutely fine,” Charlie assured him as Bass watched his reactions. 

Dillon exhaled shakily. “You wouldn't bring a cop here unless something had happened.” 

“We need to talk,” Charlie said, taking his elbow and steering him back to his lawn chair. Bass stayed back near the stairs, close enough to protect Charlie but far enough away to be unobtrusive. 

“What is it?'' Dillon asked, snuffing out his cigarette.

“Dillon, I need to know who Chloe's father is.”

The boy reared back. “Why? The adoption is final.”

“That's true but some things have happened lately and it’s important that I find him. If you know you need to tell me.”

Dillon glanced towards Bass. “What? What's happened?”

“Someone tried to kidnap Chloe. Twice.”

“What?” He asked, his fingers twitching against his pants. 

Bass’ eyes narrowed in. “Your niece is fine. So far, they've been unsuccessful.”

Dillon ignored him, staying focused on Charlie.”What happened.” 

Charlie relayed the events of the last week, strictly keeping to the details he would have read in the paper or saw on tv, leaving out the connection to Heather’s murder. 

When she was finished, Dillon lit up another smoke taking a long drag. “You think Chloe's dad has something to do with this?”

“It's the only reason I can think of for someone to take her.”

“I told you before, I don’t know who he is.” 

“But you do suspect someone.” 

Dillon looked away. “I don’t want him to get into trouble. Especially since I don’t know for sure.” 

Bass heaved a silent sigh. Chloe had almost been abducted. If there was ever a time to spill the beans it was now. He ground his teeth together keeping his mouth shut even though it was killing him to do so. 

“Dillon, I understand truly, but this is Chloe we’re talking about. Nothing is more important than her safety.”

Dillon sucked on his cigarette a few more times, his leg bouncing and his head twisting back and forth as he fought his conscience. “I’ve always thought her daddy was Connor Bennett.”

Bass recognized the name. Raised by his grandparents, Connor had been known for two things as a kid. Getting into trouble and fixing cars. However, If rumors were to be believed, he had cleaned up his act. He had gotten married and owned a small auto shop on the far side of town.

Charlie frowned. “Why Connor?”

“I saw ‘em together over at the bar on Wilson street, right around the time she got pregnant.  They looked pretty cozy.”

“Connor is married,” Bass pointed out. 

“I know. I figured that's why he never claimed Chloe as his own.” 

“Did you ever ask him about it?” Charlie asked. 

“Nope. Figured if he didn't want her, who was I to interfere? Making you Chloe's guardian was the best decision Heather ever made. That girl’s got a shot at a real life now.” 

Bass looked the boy over. He seemed to be sincere in wanting Charlie to have Chloe. 

“Is there anyone other than Connor Bennett that could be Chloe’s father?

“No, Ma'am.”

“What about the soldier she told me about. The one who was killed overseas?” 

Dillon waved his hand. “She made that shit up.” 

“Okay. Thanks, Dillon. I appreciate it,” Charlie said, getting to her feet. 

Dillon stood as well and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, causing Bass to growl. There was something about the way the boy looked at her that he didn't like. 

“You’ll bring Chloe to see me soon?” He asked. 

“Of course,” Charlie replied, backing away. “As soon as all this stuff is over with I’ll bring her.”

As Charlie made her way down the stairs. Bass made to follow behind but stopped and turned back to Dillon. 

“Hey Dillon, one ore thing. Where were you Friday night around eight.” 

“I’m a suspect?

“It's strictly a formality. I’m asking everyone.” 

“Right,” Dillon said, crossing his arms over his chest. “A formality.”

Bass stood his ground and waited. Dillon was on probation and had no choice but to answer. “I was at the “Rusty Anchor.” Went there after work, so, from about six onward.”

Bass gave a nod. “Don't leave town.”

* * *

“Was that necessary?” Charlie asked, once they’d pulled out of the trailer park into the growing darkness and she had flipped on her headlights.

“Was what necessary?”

“You know what.”

“I’m a lawman, Charlie. Questioning suspects is kinda what I do. Besides he knew about the kidnappings before you told him.”

“What! How do you know that?”

“His body language.” 

Charlie bit her bottom lip. Bass and Miles were both human lie detectors. She knew from personal experience. But she just couldn't wrap her head around Dillon being involved. 

“What kind of relationship do you have with him?”

Charlie looked at him sharply. “He’s Chloe’s uncle. I take her to see him once a month for a couple of hours. That's it,” She sighed. “He's trying to get his life together. He has a job and has been going to church. I just want him to be successful.”

Bass gave her a wiry smile. “I know. You’ve always been a defender of the underdog.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Okay, Uncle Miles,” she muttered.

“If it makes you feel any better, I believe he was sincere about wanting you to adopt Chloe and wanting her to have a better life. It doesn't take him off my list, but it does shuffle him down a ways.” 

Charlie exited the freeway and took the exit for Jasper. It was the back way, going through woods and farmland but it was the fastest way to the Monroes farm and Charlie was anxious to see Chloe. 

She watched as Bass twisted in his seat and looked out the back window. “You weren't overly surprised when he threw Connor Bennett out there as a possible father.” 

Charlie shrugged. “He fixed her car. She was friendly with his wife. Granted, he's never said two words to me or acknowledged Chloe.”

Bass glanced in the side mirror and pulled out his phone. “Charlie, I don’t want you to freak out.”

“I'm not freaking out. Even if the situation does call for it.” 

“Charlie. I’m telling you not to freak out right this second.” 

Charlie looked over at him. “What is it?”

“We're being followed.”

“Of course we are,” Charlie sighed, looking into her rearview mirror and seeing nothing but dark. 

“Just keep driving the way you are. We’re almost to the farm.”

Nodding, she gripped the wheel. 

Bass began barking orders into his phone.

Suddenly, the roar of an engine came from behind them. Blinding headlights illuminated the interior of the car, Charlie saw spots as the glare from the lights, reflected off the rearview mirror blinding her. The car jerked and Charlie's head hit the headrest as the other vehicle rammed their bumper. 

Bass twisted in his seat peering out the rear window, gun in his hand. 

Charlie hit the gas trying to put some space between the vehicles. 

“Hold on,” Bass warned her as a rush of light slammed into them, hurtling them forward. 

She struggled to keep the car on the road as her head bounced off the back of her seat. She weaved and swerved trying to make them a harder target to hit. The truck behind them clipped the bumper once again but failed to make full contact. 

“We can't outrun him,'' Bass yelled. “Take the turn towards the lake.”

She’d only been out there once in the daylight. “I don’t know where it is.”

“Do you trust me?”

She met his gaze. “With my life.”

“Then do exactly as I say.”

“Wait. Wait,” he said, as she continued to swerve and weave. 

“Foot off the gas.”

Her car had barely slowed down when he yelled, “Now!”

Without warning and at a ridiculously high rate of speed, Charlie jerked the wheen to the right. 

Her small sedan bounced off the pavement and onto the dirt road as Charlie struggled to find the brake and keep control of the car as they careened into the woods. 


	4. Chapter 4

Charlie’s car looked sad and small under the harsh lights of the evidence shed. The bumper was mangled and dragging and tree limbs had gouged ribbons down both sides. 

But they were alive. 

After their dangerously reckless turn into the woods, the vehicle following them had sped off. 

Charlie let out a shaky breath as Bass finished talking to the evidence technician and made his way to her.

“You did good Charlie.” 

“Surprising, since I was scared shitless.” 

“I know.”

She took a step towards him and he pulled her close. Much like Miles, his scent and his warmth had always meant safety to Charlie and before she knew it, she was bawling. 

Bass simply let her cry, with one hand on the back of her head and the other rubbing soothing circles against her lower back, he rocked her in his arms until she was finished. 

“I’m sorry,” she sniffed, pulling away from him as she scrounged in her purse for a tissue coming up with a burp cloth instead. With a shrug and a sigh, she mopped her face. 

“You got nothing to apologize for,” Bass said softly. “You can cry anytime you want. My shoulder is happy to oblige.”

“Thanks, Bass.”

His phone beeped interrupting them. “They’ve picked up Connor Bennett. They’re taking him to the department for an interview. We should go,” he explained, placing a hand on her lower back as they crossed the street.

The officer at the front desk waved them through. 

They found Jeremy in the break room. He greeted them with a lift of his paper cup.

“Coffee’s not bad,”

Bass poured Charlie a cup, handing it to her where she was tucked up under Jeremy’s arm, and then poured one for himself. “What’s the latest?” he asked

“Connor Bennett doesn’t know nothing about nothing. He’s an upstanding citizen of the community, fourth-generation no less and we have no business dragging him down to the station. But you know, technically we invited him,” Jeremy continued with a wink at Charlie “and he can leave at any time, but I made sure he knew cooperation would go a long way.

He claims he was at home all evening with his wife watching a movie. She confirmed it and his pickup doesn’t have any damage to it.” 

“That doesn’t mean much. His wife could be lying and he’s a mechanic. He has access to other vehicles.”

“Agreed,” Jeremy said, patting Charlie on the back before pushing off the counter and leading them out of the room. “We asked for permission to search his shop and he refused.” 

“Not surprising,” Bass replied. 

They came into an office with several monitors but only one was lit up. Connor sat in a room with a couple of chairs and a table bolted to the floor. 

“As far as providing alibis for the other two attacks, he simply can’t remember,” Jeremy explained with the role of his eyes. 

Charlie looked at him with confusion. 

“It gives him some wiggle room. Once he figures out exactly what crimes we’re investigating him for he’ll suddenly remember where he was.” Jeremy explained.

“And it will be conveniently far away from the crime scene,” Bass added as he watched Connor tap his fingers against the table. “Looks nervous enough.” 

Jeremy shrugged. “Not his first rodeo. He’s trying to figure out why we’ve dragged him down here and how much we know.” 

Bass nodded, throwing his cup in the trash. “Charlie stay here. That way you can listen and watch.” 

“Okay,” she replied, sitting next to the officer overseeing the monitors as they left the room. 

Moments later the door to the interview room opened as Bass and Jeremy strolled in. Jeremy made the introductions and Bass went through a few required procedures before asking, “I bet you’re wondering why we asked you here.” 

Connor tilted his head. “Yeah, I am.” 

“Did you know Heather Matthews?”

Connors' brow dipped. “Heather? This is about Heather? Yeah, I knew her. I worked on her car a few times and she was friends with the wife.” 

“Nothing more?”

Connor crossed his arms over his chest. “Is this about her murder? I already talked to some detectives about that. I have an alibi.”

“Which was what exactly?”

“I was at the movies with friends. Then we went to dinner.” 

“Okay,” Bass said, pulling a notepad out of his sports coat and jotting down a few notes. “So, just for the record were you and Heather ever romantically involved?”

Connor’s mouth snapped shut.

The silence went on so long that even Charlie was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. 

“Look, we went out a few times, a long time ago,” Connor said, showing his palms. “It was strictly casual.”

“How long ago?”

Conner shook his head. “I don’t know. A few years?”

That meant that he could be Chloe’s father, Charlie thought, studying his features. 

“Can you be more exact?” Bass asked.

Connor shook his head. “Nope. Not really. Like I said, It was casual. Sometimes we went out. But all that stopped when I got married. After that, I hardly saw her. She only came around when her car needed some work.”

Bass scribbled in his notepad. “And when did you get married?”

“November. Two years ago.” 

Charlie frowned at that information. Chloe’s birthday was in March so Connor had been married when she was conceived. Killing Heather and kidnapping Chloe to hide the truth seemed like a bit of a stretch. 

After another thirty minutes of questioning, Connor was let go. 

Charlie waited till he had left the station before stepping out of the room where she found Jeremy and Bass deep in conversation. 

“What is it?” she sighed. 

Bass looked at Jeremy who shrugged leaving it to him to break the news. 

“We know the gun used to shoot Heather was also involved in your attack. What we don’t know is if the same person was holding it both times.” 

Charlie paled as her eyes went wide. “There could be two of them?”

* * *

Bass spent the majority of Wednesday and Thursday tracking down leads with little to show for it. A massive headache was weighing him down as he walked into Charle’s clinic. 

The waiting room was empty and Charlie was speaking to her receptionist. She flashed Bass a smile and his heart sputtered like a teenager. Looking towards the door, her receptionist smiled and picked up her purse. Saying her goodbyes, she headed towards the door which Bass held open. 

“Thank you, Bass,” the girl smiled. 

He watched to make sure she made it safely to her car before closing and locking the door as Charlie made an entry in a patient’s chart. 

“Busy day?” he asked.

Charlie shrugged. “Besides the usual colds and flu, there’s a stomach bug going around. Lots of sick kids. I spoke to Bill about an hour ago. He said everything was quiet.” 

Bass wasn’t surprised she’d been checking in on Chloe. “He'd been doing the same.” 

Removing her stethoscope, she popped it in the pocket of her lab coat and then hung it in a closet. “How about you? any progress?”

“Not as much as I’d like,” he said over his shoulder as he straightened up the waiting room. 

“Connors alibi checks out and Dillon’s truck is undamaged. Without more evidence, I can’t get a search warrant for either of them.” 

“I told you,” she smirked, wiping the surfaces down. 

“The tip line we started has been getting a ton of calls. We’re sifting through them but it’s going to take time”. 

“Are you feeling okay?” Charlie asked, getting a good look at him. 

Slowly, Bass unbuttoned his sleeve and lifted it. Deep cuts ran across his skin, the area red and puffy. 

“Oh, Bass,” she sighed. “You did this rescuing Chloe, didn’t you? Come on, tough guy. Let’s get you fixed up.”

Leading him into an exam room, Charlie pulled various items out of drawers and cabinets. Bass took a seat in the chair next to the counter and sniffed. “Smells good in here.” 

Essential oils. They have a calming effect because let’s face it, who wants to go to the doctor. Lifting his arm, she laid some paper towels under it, before picking up a spray bottle. “This is going to sting.” 

“I’m a big boy.”

She sprayed the liquid and fire shot up his arm. She waited a few moments before blotting it off. Being a physician’s assistant Charlie had dressed wounds hundreds of times, but with Bass, she found herself unable to concentrate. He smelled like sunshine and trees with a hint of the linseed oil he used on his boots. 

She cleared her throat as she finished up. “Take this tube of ointment. Use it twice a day when you change the bandage.”

“Will do,” he replied, slipping the tube into his pocket. “You wouldn’t happen to have any suggestions for my leg, would you? I’ve done everything the doctors ordered me to, but it still aches and cramps up.” 

Charlie knew the admission wasn’t an easy one for him to make and she was touched that he trusted her enough to ask. That gunshot was what caused him to retire from the Chicago P.D. and head home. And, since Miles couldn’t see being a cop without Bass he had retired and moved south with his girlfriend Nora. 

“There are some stretches I can show you. Big ones for home and little ones that you can do at your desk or in the car to keep you from stiffening up which should help with the cramps.” 

Charlie bit her lip as she cleaned up after herself. “Have you dated since coming home?”

“No,” he said, pushing to his feet. “I was holding out for someone special and now that I’ve found her I’m not sure how she’ll react if I tell her the truth.” Reaching out, he tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. “I’d hate to scare her off.”

Charlie’s breath hitched, knowing with doubt that he was talking about her. Her heart began a furious tattoo against her chest as she instinctively leaned closer and Bass’ gaze dropped to her mouth.

Titling down, Bass brushed his lips against hers. The kiss was light, like the fluttering of butterfly wings before he slowly backed away, his face full of questions and concerns. 

Charlie grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. 

The moment their lips touched, sparks flew. Bass arms drew her closer, holding her tight. Everything else fell away until there was nothing but them. Nothing until the shrill ring of a phone bringing them back to reality. 

“Sorry,” Bass groaned, resting his forehead against hers. “That’s me.” 

Charlie sucked in a breath. “Chloe.”

“No,” Bass soothed, pulling out his phone. “Monroe.”

Charlie could hear Jeremy’s smooth tones flowing out of the speaker. 

“Witness,” Bass mouthed to her. 

Nodding, Charlie retrieved her own cell phone and sent a message to Gail. A reply came back almost instantly. It was a photo of Chloe having a snack, wearing a large bib and a wide smile. 

Touching her lips, she wondered what the fuck she was doing. 

Bass hung up from his call and peeked at Charlie’s screen. “She’s having a ball.” 

“They’re spoiling her rotten,” Charlie replied. “So what’s up?”

“A witness who thinks he saw your attacker called into the station after seeing it on the news. I’m gonna go talk to him, but I can drop you off first.” 

“I’ll go with you. Chloe’s fine and I need to stop by the house to pick up some clean clothes.”

“Charlie…”

Charlie shook her head. “Bass, we’re fine. There’s just a lot going right now.”

He nodded. “You’re right. I just want you to know that I don’t regret it and I hope you don’t either.” 

Charlie laid a hand on his chest. “No, I don’t regret it all.” 

A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and she found herself smiling back.

His phone beeped again. “Jeremy sent me a name and address. Jason Neville.” 

“The artist?”

“Yes, why? Do you know him?”

“No. But Heather did. Did Jeremy say when Jason called?”

“Sunday afternoon,” Bass replied, hustling them out to his truck. 

“Was there a relationship between the two? Beyond the professional?” 

“Not that I know of,” Charlie replied as they pulled up to a red light. “She only mentioned him in passing. That he was a good guy, his artwork was good, that kind of thing.” 

“For all I know, she knew him a lot better than she let on. She certainly didn’t tell me everything.”

“Why do you think that is? I mean she trusted you enough to make you the guardian of her baby.”

“That was a surprise, I assure you. We had a fleeting conversation about it one day. I had no idea she’d hire a lawyer and have the paperwork drawn up.”

“So, you weren’t close.” 

“I mean, I thought we were. Dillon told me once that Heather looked up to me, like an older sister.”

Bass hummed. “Then she cared a great deal about what you thought of her, therefore censored what she told you.” 

“You're probably right,” Charlie agreed. 

“Maybe this Jason guy can give us some answers.” 

Pulling into a strip mall near the county line, they found Jason’s studio tucked between a liquor store and a dry cleaner. The tinted windows made it impossible to see inside. Bass pulled on the door handle and found it locked. 

“Doesn’t look like anyone’s here,” Charlie sighed. 

“Hey, what are you doing there?” 

Bass turned to see a man wearing a green apron standing at the door of the liquor store. 

“We’re looking for Jason Neville. Any idea when he’ll be back?”

“Why? Is he in trouble or something?”

“No, not at all. I’m hoping he might be able to help me out on a case,” Bass explained parting his jacket just enough to flash the badge at his hip. “When was the last time you heard from Jason?”

“A couple of days ago. Found a note slipped under my door telling me he was going on vacation. Didn’t say where, just asked me to keep an eye on the place.” 

Bass frowned. “Do you still have the note?”

“Nah, threw it away. You know he was in the Military?”

Charlie looked at Bass as he shook his head. 

“Yeah, he always takes vacation about this time. Something about the anniversary of an attack.” 

“Do you by chance have a contact number for him?”

The man frowned. “He doesn't have a cell phone, but typically calls in every couple of days to check on things.” 

“When he does, can you ask him to contact me?'' Bass requested, handing the man his business card. 

“Sure thing.”

Thanking the man, Bass slid another card under Jason’s door.

“So,” Charlie said as Bass pulled onto the road. “Jason was in the military. Maybe he’s Chloe’s father.”

“It’s definitely an avenue to pursue,” Bass agreed, turning onto the street behind the strip mall. 

“Wait a minute. Isn’t that Connor Bennett’s garage?”

“Sure is,” Bass replied, slowing down. The bay doors were open but no one was in sight. Still, a prickle of unease made him regret bringing Charlie with him.

Speeding up, neither saw the man stepping out into the road watching them go. 


	5. Chapter 5

Charlie tugged her suitcase off the bed hoping she had packed far more than she would need. She loved staying with the Monroe’s but was ready to be back in her own home.

Pulling the suitcase to the top of the stairs, she met Bass’ gaze from where he stood waiting for her on the landing. 

Taking a step forward, she stumbled, catching herself on the railing. Bass hurried up the stairs, steadying her with one hand while he reached for the bag with the other. 

“Get everything you need,” he asked, his mouth impossibly close to hers. 

Charlie swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. “Yeah. For at least a week. When I packed the first time, I didn’t expect to be staying at the farm for so long. Did I hear you talking to someone?” she asked as she led them down the stairs. 

“Jeremy. He’s still running down leads but I asked him to push Jason Neville to the top of the list.” 

Moving out onto the porch, Charlie shivered at the cold breeze as she locked up. 

“You know, rumor has it mom is making lasagna for dinner,” he told her as they walked to his truck. 

“That sounds delicious,'' Charlie replied, her stomach fluttering at the feel of his hand on her back. “I managed to miss lunch today-oh crap,” she said, her steps faltering. “Bass I need to go back and get the keys to Heather’s house. A neighbor told me he spotted a hole in one of the eaves. I need to get over there and check it out.” 

“Okay,” he agreed, opening the truck and stowing her suitcase. “We need to make it quick though. That storm is moving in fast.” 

Charlie ran back into the house and fished out the keys from her catch-all drawer. Bass was waiting for her outside with a flashlight, it’s beam ready to light their way. Together they crossed the street and made their way into the back yard. It wasn’t long before they discovered a chunk of missing wood. 

“That’s not good,” Charlie stated. “That’s big enough for squirrels to get in.” Bass inspected the hole for a moment or two longer as Charlie made her way to the back door. 

“Bass,” she whispered, taking a step back. “The door isn’t locked.” 

Bass’ head whipped around, closing the distance between them in two strides, placing himself between Charlie and the door. Using the flashlight he scanned the backyard looking for any broken windows. The door jamb didn’t appear to be damaged either. 

“Who else has keys to the house?” 

“No one that I know of.” 

Bass drew his weapon. “Stay right behind me. Hold onto my belt and don’t let go.” 

Charlie nodded, wrapping a finger around his back belt loop. 

Bass nudged the door open with his foot. The kitchen was empty and bare. 

Silently they moved down the hall towards the bedrooms. The first was empty, including the attached bath. 

Turning to Charlie, Bass leaned down, next to her ear. “One room to go. Take the flashlight. After I turn the knob, I want you to give it back to me, then you stay in the hall until I call for you.” 

Charlie nodded, her breath coming faster than she liked. Bass handed her the flashlight, quickly brushing her cheek before creeping out into the hall. 

Twisting the knob, he cracked the door open. Reaching behind him, Charlie slid the flashlight into his hand. He took a deep breath and Charlie let go of his belt. 

Bass slammed into the room. 

He swept his gaze across the room, his mind processing the sleeping bag, the ashtray, and discarded food wrappers. He turned to quickly clear the bathroom and closet. 

Both were empty.

He holstered his gun. “It’s clear. There’s no one here now,” Bass said as Charlie came into the room staring in horror. “Don’t touch anything. It’s all evidence,” he explained as Charlie shook her head.

“What’s that?” She asked, pointing towards the windowsill. Bass lifted his flashlight. 

He moved towards the high-powered binoculars and looked out the window. He reached for Charlie, knowing she had figured it out well before he had. 

“Someone’s been watching us.”

* * *

Bass didn’t feel fear often, but fear was definitely what he was feeling as he made his way from his home to his parents. Not for himself. For Charlie and Chloe. 

After sharing dinner with his family last night, he had retreated to his home and went over Heather’s file line by line and he thought he might have finally found something. 

Wiping his feet on the doormat, Bass entered his parent’s home, hanging his hat on the hook by the door. 

Charlie and Chloe were in the kitchen, the baby in a pair of footie pj’s her curls springing in all directions. Her head was on Charlie’s shoulder as Charlie swayed side to side singing softly. 

He had been fooling himself this entire time. There was no way he could separate his emotions from this case. When it came to Charlie and her little girl, things were too complicated for that. The feelings he had for them were instinctive and deeper than anything he’d ever felt before. 

Glancing up, Charlie’s eyes brightened. “Good morning.” 

“Morning. Did you sleep well?” 

“No,” she replied, running her hand up and down Chloe's back. “Little miss has a tooth coming in. She was up and down most of the night.” 

Taking a closer look, he could see the dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and she was still in her pajamas. Leaning up against the counter beside her, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. 

With a sigh, Charlie leaned into him. 

After a few moments, Chloe’s head slowly lifted off of Charlie’s shoulder as she peaked up at him. She looked even worse than Charlie. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she chewed on her fingers, her nose running. 

Bass held out his hand. “Awww, hey there darlin’. How about you come see Bass and give your mama a break.” 

The baby leaned over and Bass lifted the baby in his arms. The age-old scents of baby powder and shampoo wafted towards him as Charlie grabbed a tissue and wiped Chloe’s nose. 

“There’s a fresh pot of coffee, want some? Charlie asked

“I’ll get it. You look like you need to sit down.” 

Charlie shook her head. “How about you hold the baby while I make us some breakfast.” 

Bass smiled down at Chloe. “Pretty sure I’m getting the long end of the stick with that one.” 

Charlie smiled back at him softly as Chloe laid her small hand against his chest and he ran one large palm over her head. 

“So,” she said, opening the fridge. “How about an omelet?”

“The answer to the question is always yes.”

Keeping Chloe tucked safely in one arm, he pulled down two mugs from the cabinet, pouring them each some coffee.

“Mom and Dad still in bed?”

“Gail is in the barn but Bill is. I hear him up every night making rounds in the house. Keeping watch. I feel horrible. I hate putting your family in this position.”

Bass shook his head. “Dad would lose a whole lot more sleep if you weren’t here where he could keep an eye on you.” 

“That's probably true,” Charlie replied, looking up at him from where she stood at the stove.

Cupping her face, Bass brushed his thumb against the curve of her cheek. As their gaze met and held, his pulse kicked up a notch. 

“If you keep distracting me, I’m going to burn the eggs,” she murmured. 

Bass smirked. “It’ll be worth it.” Tilting his head to capture her lips with his, Charlie leaned into him, bringing her body closer. He couldn’t help but linger, relishing the stolen moment.

The sensation of something wet and slimy moved across his neck, causing him to break their embrace. “I think I’ve been slimed.” 

Bright laughter bubbled up out of Charlie as she reached for a paper towel. “Sorry about that.”

“I’ve been covered in worse,” he said, mopping up Chloe's face before wiping his neck. Chloe blinked up at him, her eyes glazed and red. Bass pressed a kiss to her forehead as he patted her bum. 

“Do you have to go into the office today?”

“No. Kim was able to reach everyone who had an appointment today. If anyone has anything urgent they can call my cell.” 

“We can make house calls if you need to.” 

“Thanks. Let’s just play it by ear and see what happens.” 

Bass could see she was still on edge after their discovery the night before, but right now it was just a waiting game. Chloe shifted and he looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. 

Sliding an omelet onto a plate, Charlie divided it in half adding bacon and toast. 

“Is there anything else we can do?”

“I want to talk to Your neighbor, George Dixon.”

“Why?”

“They were neighbors,” he explained as they sat at the table. “Oh, this is good,'' he said around the food in his mouth as he took a bite. He was silent as he chewed his food before asking. “What was their relationship like?”

Charlie shrugged. “They went out a few times. Heather said it was strictly platonic. They got along well from what I could see.” 

“Did George feel the same way?”

“I know he cared about her. As far as I know, there were no bad feelings.” 

“He told the detectives that there was trouble between Heather and Dillon and that they should take a hard look at her brother.” 

“What?” Charlie exclaimed. “He never once said anything of the kind to me. Why wouldn’t he have told me?”

“That’s a good question. One I plan on asking.”

* * *

Bass took a chance that George Dixon would be home and was rewarded when the door swung open. 

His attention landed on Charlie. ”Hey Charlie! How are you? I knocked on your door the other day but you didn’t answer. Is everything okay?”

“Chloe and I are fine, thanks. We’ve been staying with friends.”

Bass stepped forward to shake the man’s hand, “Sheriff Bass Monroe. Do you have a moment to chat?”

“Of course,” the man replied, opening the door wider. “Although I should warn you I’ve got to be at work soon.”

“We’ll keep it short.” 

Entering the house, Bass could tell the floor plan was identical to Charlie’s as George picked up a remote and turned off the tv. “What has my brother done this time?”

Bass shook his head. “This isn’t about your brother, it’s about Heather.”

“Oh, well, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to help you. I told the detectives everything I know.”

“We're just making sure nothings been missed. I understand that you knew Heather for quite a long time.”

“You could say that. We’ve been neighbors most of our lives.” 

“Did she ever mention any trouble to you? Anything that might have bothered her?”

The man hesitated a moment before speaking. “She was having issues with her brother. He was constantly asking her for money. Whatever she gave him never seemed to be enough. Besides the drugs, Dillion also gambled. He was always stealing stuff from his folks. Once they passed he blew through his inheritance. That's when he started getting arrested for breaking and entering.” 

“I can’t believe she never told me,” Charlie said. 

George shook his head. “She was pretty private about it. The only reason I knew about it was because we were at the bar one night when Dillon confronted her. The conversation got pretty heated.” 

“How long ago was that?” Bass asked. 

“Right after he got out of prison. Probably about a year before she died. Heather wanted Dillion to turn his life around. She convinced him to start going to church with her and their relationship started getting a lot better.” 

“But you still think he had something to do with her murder.” 

“Addicts have a habit of falling off the wagon. Even if their relationship was on the mend it could always take a turn for the worse.” 

Bass jotted down a few notes about illegal gambling rings in his notebook.

“If you thought Dillon was involved why didn’t you say anything to me?”

The man shrugged. “I figured the detectives would follow up and if there was something to know they’d tell you. When nothing happened, I just assumed I was wrong. Maybe I should have said something, but this is a small town and rumors tend to run wild.” 

Bass nodded. The man’s reasoning made sense, but he still had a few more questions.

“Did you and Heather ever date?”

“We went out as friends, but that’s it. Between work and my mom, I don’t have a lot of time for relationships.” 

“Did Heather ever talk about Connor Bennett?”

George’s mouth tightened. “I warned her away from him. He’s bad news and the last thing she needed was to get involved with a married man.” 

“What about Chloe’s father? Did Heather ever talk about him?” Charlie asked. 

“Just that it was some guy she met. A soldier.” 

“She ever mention his name?” Bass asked. 

“No. Like I said she was private. Listen I hate to do this but I need to finish getting ready for work. I don’t want to be late.” 

“Of course,” Bass replied, pulling out a business card. “If you think of anything else give me a call.” 

“Sure will,” George replied, taking the card and escorting them to the door. Before he stepped out, Bass paused. “Hey, you haven’t noticed anyone hanging out around Heather’s house since her death have you?”

“Just Dillon. He had a key. Heather gave it to him.”

* * *

Charlie wiped milk off of Chloe’s bottom lip before pressing a kiss to her forehead and laying her down. Raising the side of the crib, she grabbed the baby monitor and left the room.

She heard the tea kettle whistle as she walked into the kitchen. 

“Chloe sleeping?'' Bass asked.

“Finally. Where is everyone?”

“Mom and dad went to bed and Angie left a while ago,” he said as he turned the burner off. “I found some tea and cookies.” 

A lump formed in Charlie’s throat. “Would you mind if we took a walk first? I could use some fresh air. 

“Of course.” 

Helping her into her jacket they left the house. Woodsmoke hung in the fall air and Charlie took in a few deep breaths letting the cool air relax her. Overhead stars twinkled in the night sky. 

“It’s so beautiful here,” she murmured looking up at the sky. “Hard to believe there’ll be more rain tonight as clear as it is.” 

Bass reached out taking one of her hands in his. It seemed as though they were both reluctant to talk about today. 

“How many people knew about the guardianship arrangement?” He finally asked.

Charlie frowned. “The lawyer of course. But other than that I don’t know. I didn’t even know.”

“I had Jeremy check. Dillon’s name has been linked to a gambling ring running in the area. There’s no proof, just rumors, but it confirms what George told us.”

They reached the fence line which was as far as they could go with the baby monitor and leaned against it. 

“I suspect that Dillon didn’t know you would be made Chloe’s guardian. Without those papers, he would have been her next of kin.”

“But Heather didn’t have any money.”

Bass lifted a shoulder. “She had more than Dillon. George told us he confronted her at that bar. Maybe he lured her out to that country road to ask for money and when she refused, he killed her.”

“But he didn’t rob her. Her purse and phone were still in the car.”

“Dillon’s been arrested for burglary before. He knows they’d be too easy to trace and couldn’t risk it.” Bass sighed. “We assumed that ransom wasn’t the motive because Chloe didn’t inherit any money, but you’re her mother now. How much would you pay to get her back?”

Charlie shook her head as her eyes watered and she took a step back. They both knew that she would give everything she had to get Chloe back. “But it’s Dillon. I can’t believe he would have the discipline to pull this off.” 

“Criminals in jail talk, Charlie. They teach each other things. I think Dillon is a lot smarter than we give him credit for.”

She still wasn’t ready to admit the obvious. “Where did he get the truck that ran us off the road?”

“He and Connor are friends. That would explain Connors’s behavior and why he wouldn’t let us search his shop.” Bass glanced away for a moment before meeting her eyes again. “There’s something else, Charlie. Officers went to Dillon’s house to bring him in and couldn’t find him. His truck is gone and he hasn’t been at work in three days.” 

Tears welled up in her eyes spilling down her cheeks. 

“I’m sorry,” Bass whispered. 

“It’s not your fault,” she choked out. “I don’t know why I’m so upset.” 

Bass grasped her shoulders. “Because you love your uncle and you can’t stand the fact that Chloe’s uncle would do something like this.” 

No, she couldn’t. 

Looking up, she met his gaze. Raising her hand, she cupped his face tracing his jaw, letting her fingers drag over his whiskers. 

His fingers encircled her wrist, drawing her closer until he was kissing her, his other hand pressed against her back. He touched her like she was everything he needed. 

And it made her want. Oh did it make her want. She wanted things she wasn’t even sure were possible. Or even smart. Breaking the kiss she dropped her head to his chest. “What are we doing Bass? I don’t want to ruin our friendship or the relationship we have with our families.” 

“We’ve been friends since the day you were born Charlotte and we’ll be friends until the day I die. And as far as our families are concerned no one knows about us and that’s exactly how it’ll stay if you don’t want to take things any further.”

“But Bass, it changes things. We both know that.” 

“Charlie, I’ve been hiding my feelings for you for the last year. I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”

Charlie pulled back to look at him. “Are you serious?” She demanded, nearly stomping her foot. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you're not the only one worried about it affecting our friendship.”

“And what? Now you’re not?”

“No, I am,” he answered, brushing a strand of hair off her face, “But seeing you and Chloe in danger, it changes things for me. I’m done putting off things that need to be said. I’m too old to be wasting time. I’m crazy about you, Charlotte, always have been, but I’m also head over heels in love with you.” 

Charlie’s heart stuttered and then roared to life. “I come as a package deal.” 

“Don’t you think I know that?”

“But it could all come crashing down around our ears.” 

Bass tilted her chin up until she was looking him in the eyes. “I’m more than ready to take that risk, Charlotte. You and Chloe are worth it. The question is, are you?”


	6. Chapter 6

People always underestimated him. 

He dropped the shovel as the rain beat against him, his breath coming in shallow gasps. 

He shoved on the fence post and Heather's face flashed in front of his eyes. Her mouth opened in shock as blood spread across her t-shirt. A rush of power flooded his body and the wood suddenly gave way. 

Collapsing into the rain it took the barbed wire with it. 

Soon he thought. Soon he would have everything he wanted. 

This time failure wasn’t an option.

* * *

When Charlie woke on Saturday morning, sunlight was streaming in through the windows. 

Dressing, she went to check on Chloe. The little girl was on her back, blankets in a heap at her feet. Charlie checked for fever, then covered her with the blanket. 

Making her way downstairs she saw Gail out on the front porch working on wedding stuff. In the distance, Bill was repairing a section of the barn.

“Good Morning,” Gail greeted her. 

“Morning,” Charlie yawned. “I don’t think I've slept this late in years.” 

“Well, it's not a surprise with everything going on. How’s Chloe?”

“Still sleeping,” Charlie answered curling up in a chair, the baby monitor resting on the table in front of her. “I think her tooth finally broke through so hopefully, she's feeling better.” 

Gail poured her a cup of coffee passing it over. “You just missed Bass. He left about a half-hour ago.”

Charlie smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. “He messaged me.” 

Gail looked towards the barn and suddenly got to her feet. 

Charlie turned to see Bill rushing towards them.

“What's going on?” Gail asked.

“The back fence is down. Some of the cows and horses have gotten out. Where’s Bass.”

“He’s out serving a search warrant,” Charlie replied. “But go. We’ll be fine. We’ll set the alarms and lock the doors. It’ll be fine.” 

Bill nodded. “I’ll wait.” 

Charlie helped Gail gather her things and get inside before setting the alarm. As soon as Bill heard the beeping, he took off toward the barn. 

“Well how about some breakfast and wedding planning before the baby gets up?” Gail asked.

“I’d love to,” Charlie replied, happy for the distraction.

* * *

An hour later, Charlie lingered at the kitchen table by herself. Gail had wandered off to do some laundry and there was a sink full of dishes that needed doing before Chloe woke, but she couldn't get her mind off of last night and Bass asking her if he was worth the risk. 

She had finally concluded that he was. 

Regardless of their family's or their age difference, she was in love with Bass. She’d be stupid to throw that away. 

A crash from the back of the house followed by a thump dragged her out of her head. 

“Gail?” She called, rising from her chair. 

Making her way to the laundry room she discovered it empty. The washing machine lid was open and dirty laundry strewn everywhere. 

“Gail?” she called again, hesitantly entering the master bedroom. Moving to the end of the bed she saw a pair of feet sticking out on the far side. 

“Gail!” Charlie cried, hurrying over to where the woman lay face down. Leaning down she pressed her fingers to the woman's neck, closing her eyes in relief when she found a pulse. Running her eyes over the woman she didn't see any obvious injuries. 

Gently rolling the woman over, Charlie discovered blood soak carpet and a huge gash across her temple. 

Charlie looked around the room trying to determine what she had hit her head on. Her heart raced as her gaze landed on the dark alarm panel. Oh God no!

Jumping to her feet, she grabbed a shotgun from its holder on the wall. Popping it open, she made sure it was loaded. The benefits of having a police officer as an uncle was that she was a dead shot. 

Climbing the stairs slowly, Charlie cleared each room as she passed it. Her bedroom was the last and someone would have to go past her to get down the stairs. 

The bathroom was empty and then the second bedroom. That left her room. She stood in the hallway and just listened. If someone was here, they were keeping quiet. 

Creeping forward, Charlie could see the door was exactly as she left it, and beyond Chloe was still asleep in the crib. 

Quickly moving into the room her breath escaped in a rush. It was empty. Lowering the shotgun, her first thought was to get Chloe out of the house. Making her way to the crib, she didn't hear the creak of the door until it was too late. 

Smoothing crashed into her skull as she fell to the floor, the shotgun lying useless beside her. Something sharp jabbed her neck and everything went black.

* * *

Chloe was crying.

Charlie groaned. Her head felt like it was splitting apart. She tried to move her arms but couldn’t. The crying got louder, causing both her head and her heart to hurt. Why was her little girl crying? 

She tried to pry her eyes open only to be stabbed by light. 

“I said wake up!”

Something wet hit her face causing Charlie to sputter and open her eyes. Soaked hair hung in her face as she focused on the man's shoes and a bucket hitting the floor. 

Charlie gasped as her memory came flooding back. She lifted her head to see George, her next-door neighbor in front of her. Her body shook in terror as she watched him bend down and pick Chloe up off the dirty floor. The baby was frantic, her face red from crying. She reached her chubby hands out for Charlie as she screamed. 

Charlie tried to get her mouth to work but the room was spinning. Whatever drug he'd given her hadn’t worn off. 

“What's wrong with her?'' he demanded. “She’s been crying for almost an hour.”

“Give- give her-give her to me.” Charlie croaked out of her dry throat. 

She pulled against the ropes holding her to the chair, the fibers digging into her delicate skin.

“No! You can tell me what to do but I’m not giving her to you.” 

“George, please,” she's scared. 

“She’s not scared!” he shouted in a rage, spittle flying. “I just don't know what to do. You're supposed to tell me what to do.” 

His outburst only served to scare Chloe more, causing her to arch away from him. She slipped from his arms and he barely caught her before she hit the floor. 

“Rock her!” Charlie cried out terrified that he’d hurt Chloe. ”Rock her side to side. She likes that.” 

Shaking her head hoping to clear it, Charlie looked around the room. They were in some kind of cabin. She could see trees outside the window. Chloe's diaper bag sat near the front door. 

“She's been teething so her mouth might be hurting. There's ointment for it in the bag.” 

George marched across the room pulling the bag up. “Where?”

“Front right pocket. Smear it on her gums.” 

A noise from behind her had Charlie turning her head to the point of pain. She was able to just see Dillon's face from where he had been thrown in the corner, still dressed in his work uniform. 

Blood stained his collar and matted his hair. 

Charlie’s brows furrowed. She had to get them out of here. 

Chloe's cries began to lessen as George rubbed her gums and she began to hiccup. Her face still red and puffy. 

Charlie itched to hold her baby. 

George smirked. “You tried to trick me. She’s not afraid.” 

“I didn’t try to trick you. I just don't understand why you're doing this.” 

“Because she’s mine!” He ranted.

Charlie's mouth opened in shock as he looked down at Chloe. “But I don’t know how to take care of her. That’s why you're here. You're going to tell me everything I need to know. If Heather hadn't been so foolish we could have been together. Been a family.”

Charlie stilled in the chair. “You killed Heather?”

George’s expression twisted into one Charlie had never seen before. 

I've loved her since the day I met her. She was just a little girl back then, but then she grew up. We both did. But she only wanted to be friends. She just didn't understand that she was mine. And then she got pregnant with Chloe. I told her it didn't matter to me. I offered to marry her. I offered her everything and she said no!”

Chloe startled and started crying again, every shaky sob tearing Charlie's heart apart. 

“You can't yell. It startles her. You need to walk with her. If you walk and rock she’ll probably fall asleep.” 

George frowned and awkwardly patted Chloe's back. “There, there, no ones going to keep us apart again. You’ll be with me forever now.”

Charlie shook at his words. He’d been obsessed with Heather and killed her. What if he did the same to Chloe. 

Once the baby had calmed he flashed Charlie a smile. “I knew taking you was smart. I've been reading baby books and watching you, but there's so much I still don't know. What else can I do to calm her down?”

Charlie swallowed. If he wanted to learn about caring for a baby, she would keep talking. “She likes listening to people talk. It's soothing.” The rough rope bit into her fingers but one of the ropes loosened. “Were you the one who attacked me at the grocery store?”   
  


George rolled his eyes. “Did you honestly think it was Dillon? I mean I've worked hard to point the police in that direction.” He scoffed. “The police. Plant a little evidence and give a statement. They're like sheep really.” 

  
  


Charlie could feel blood begin to trickle down her wrists. “You put things in Dillon’s house?”

“Just enough to make him look guilty,'' he replied, turning to glare at her. “If you hadn't fought me, none of this would have been necessary. You're the one that screwed everything up.” 

“You tried to kidnap Chloe from the bridal store.” 

The man grinned with a tilt of his head. “For Dillon to be the kidnapper he had to appear desperate. But I was never desperate. I knew exactly what I was doing.” 

Charlie’s blood slick fingers slipped off the rope. “What about the truck that followed us.”

“Oh, that old thing? I stole it from Connor's garage. He and my brother go way back, Then I led you to Heather's house. Stole some of Dillon’s cigarettes and made it look like he'd been watching you. DNA doesn't lie after all. Between that and the evidence I planted, he doesn't stand a chance.” 

Charlie fumbled with another knot but kept working at them. 

“She's finally asleep,” George said, laying Chloe in the car seat he must have taken from the Monroe house and covering her in a blanket. 

“Now,” he said, picking up a pad and paper from the table.” I want to know everything. From the time she gets up, to the second she goes to sleep.”

A cell phone rang in the silence. 

Charlie froze as she realized it was hers. 

George’s face turned an angry red. “You have a cell phone?” His hands were suddenly all over her as he searched for it, finding it in her sweater pocket. 

“You stupid bitch!” he hissed, his hand smashing into her face. 

Charlie's head snapped back as pain exploded across her face. She forced herself to breathe. “They can track you using cell phones. What am I going to do?” he nearly wailed, pulling at his hair. 

Suddenly the phone stopped ringing. 

“I’ll destroy it. That way they can't track you.” 

Charlie sucked in a breath. He couldn't destroy it. That phone represented a lifeline. The phone lit up and began ringing again. 

“Let me talk to him.”

George rounded on her. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“He’ll keep calling. If I don't answer the phone, he’ll know something is wrong.” 

George closed the distance between them with angry strides, pulling a knife out of his pocket. 

Charlie froze as the knife followed the curve of her cheek and the line of her jaw with a stinging caress. It came to rest right above her carotid. 

“Okay. I’ll let you talk to the Sheriff. But if you breathe one word to warn him, I’ll kill Chloe's precious uncle right in front of you.” 

Jutting her chin out, Charlie met his gaze. “Deal,” she lied. “I won’t say anything.”

* * *

Bass hit the redial button. This was the third time he’d tried calling Charlie. He’d finally managed to track down Jason Neville and had a pretty good idea who the kidnapper really was. 

He’d already called Jeremy, giving him the information but he needed to let Charlie know as well. 

“Hello?”

Bass exhaled noisily. “Charlie where are you? Why haven't you been answering my calls?”

“I was changing Chloe's diaper and let me tell you. I never should have fed her those beans yesterday. Must be Karma.” 

Bass froze. “Better you than me,” he finally managed to choke out. 

Charlie chuckled but she knew it sounded strain. “Chicken. Anyway, everything's fine here. What about on your end?”

“Nothing,” he bit out in frustration. “We ran into a bunch of dead ends.” 

“I’m sure you’ll get there. I'd better run though, It's time for Chloe's nap.” 

“Other than the bean situation, is she okay?”

“She's fine. We both are. We’ll see you when you get home.” 

Before Bass could reply, Charlie hung up. He immediately called Jeremy, putting him on speakerphone. “Get someone out to my parent's house,” he ordered while searching his phone for the app he needed.

Over the line, Jeremy snapped out a few quick orders. “What's going on Bass?”

“Charlie’s in trouble. I just spoke to her on the phone and she used my old undercover distress word.”

The idea of Charlie or Chloe being hurt or injured left his heart skipping beats. I think Chloe’s with her. She said they were fine, but she could have been lying.” 

“Chloe?” Jason asked. “Chloe Mathews?”

“You know her?” Bass asked.

“She's the daughter of one of my combat buddies. Steve died in an IED attack. Was the woman who was attacked in the parking lot Chloe's adoptive mother?”

Bass nodded as a map appeared on his cell phone screen. A blue dot blinked. “I've got the phone's coordinates. I’m sending them to you right now, Jeremy.” 

Jason leaned over to look at the map. “I've been all over these woods. There's a cabin right there.”

“We've been running Dixon through the system. His mother owns a piece of property in that area. I've got law enforcement dispatched to that location but they’re at least thirty minutes out.” 

Jason looked at Bass. “I know a shortcut. We can be there in fifteen, less if you're a fast runner.” 

Bass hesitated as he looked the younger man over, wondering if he could trust him.

“Look. That’s my buddy's daughter in there. You need backup and I can provide it.” 

Bass gave a sharp nod. “Let's go.”

* * *

Charlie talked. And talked. And talked until she began to go hoarse. She went over her favorite toys and lullabies and foods that she hated as all the while blood dripped down her fingers as she worked the last knot. 

Finally, George stood from his chair with a yawn. He laid the paper pad and pen on the table. “I think I have enough. None of this seems too complicated.” 

“But I haven't told you about when she’s sick.” 

“Unfortunately, it's getting late and someone is eventually going to find Mrs. Monroe and realize that you’re gone. And once that happens they’ll track your phone.”

He turned in a small circle looking at the place over. “My grandfather left me this place. I’ll be sorry to see it go.” 

George made his way to the kitchen and came out with a large can that smelled distinctly of gasoline. 

“What are you doing?” Charlie asked.

“I'm finishing what I started.”

* * *

Bass’ bad leg burned, but he didn't slow down. He focused on one thing and one thing only. Getting to Charlie and Chloe. 

Up ahead, Jason skidded to a sudden halt, his chest heaving and winced. Bass evidently wasn't the only one in pain. 

“The house was in a small clearing through those trees,” he explained, crouching behind some bushes as Bass joined him. 

For the moment, they had the high ground and could access the situation. 

The cabin sat about a hundred yards back and had a tin roof. Windows faced the front and side. There was no cover between them and the house. If anyone were standing guard, they would see them coming. 

Bass pulled out his phone and texted Jeremy. “Backup is here in fifteen.” 

“We hang tight until then?”

Bass’ hand clenched around his phone. He wanted nothing more than to run in and get Charlie and Chloe out of there, but without knowing more, he could just as easily get them killed. 

“If we try to approach now we could create a hostage situation.” He nodded to the truck next to the cabin. “Is that the truck you saw the night of the attack.” 

“Yeah. That's it.” 

The door to the cabin swung open to reveal George carrying a car carrier. Bass could see Chloe tucked inside, her curls bouncing in the breeze.

Bass growled at the sight. He was going to make sure that man spent the rest of his life in prison. 

Sitting the baby down on the ground George went back inside. 

“What is he doing?” Jason whispered. 

Bass pushed to his feet. He didn't like this not at all. 

“Get the baby. I’ll get Charlie,” he ordered before racing across the clearing, his weapon in hand. He could hear Jason's footsteps behind him. 

A scream rang out inside the cabin.

Charlie!

No, no, no! He chanted in his head as he closed the distance between himself and the cabin. 

Behind him, Jason scooped up the car seat and headed back towards the trees. 

Bass shoved on the door but it didn't budge. Lifting his foot, he slammed his boot above the lock. Pain shot up his leg. 

“Charlie!” he shouted, repeating the motion. 

This time the wood splintered and the door burst open. Bass barged in, gun raised, and stopped in his tracks. 

George stood in the back of the cabin, holding Charlie in front of him. A knife to her throat. His other arm was wrapped around her waist, trapping hers against her body. Her face was pale, hands raw and bleeding, rope dangling from one wrist. 

A long cut ripped through a pant leg, the fabric soaked with blood. 

“Put down your weapon, Sheriff, or I’ll slit her throat.” 

Sweat dripped down Bass’ neck. “No one needs to die today.” 

Charlie’s mouth moved, but Bass couldn't make out a thing she was saying. 

Dillon tied to a chair, unconscious and beaten to within an inch of his life, moaned in the corner. 

Turning his head, Bass’ nose was assaulted by the smell of gasoline. Fire. That's what Charlie was saying. 

“It's over Dixon. Don't make things worse than they already are. We can all walk out of here.” 

“You mean I can go to prison?'' he sneered. “That's not going to happen. Put your gun down or I slit her throat. I know exactly where to cut to make her bleed out in the blink of an eye. Do you hear me?” He screamed, the edge of the knife drawing blood. 

Bass knew he couldn't lay his gun down. If he did Dixon would just kill her anyway.

“George, listen to me. We can work something out. You don't want to do this.” 

A shadow moved outside the window, drawing Bass’ attention for half a heartbeat. Just enough time for Dixon to fling a lighter towards the back wall.

Charlie screamed. 

Within seconds the entire back wall was on fire. 

“The clock is ticking Sheriff. Once the fire reaches the gas can, we all go boom.”

Bass met Charlie's eyes. She looked down and then back at him. Then she did it again. Smoke was beginning to fill the cabin.

“What's it going to be, Sheriff? Ready to put down-”

Charlie moved suddenly slamming her elbow into George’s stomach. He grunted, lifting the knife from her throat and Charlie dropped like a rock to the floor. 

Bass fired and blooms of red appeared on the man’s chest. He stumbled back and collapsed to the ground, his body going limp. 

Bass moved forward, kicking the knife away before crouching next to Charlie. She coughed. “Dillon. We need to get Dillon.” Picking up the discarded knife she crawled over to the injured man. 

Bass took the blade from her and began to cut the other man loose. Yelling over the roar of the fire. “Get out of here, Charlie! “

“No! Not without you!”

She tore at the ropes as Bass cut them. Finally, Dillion was loose and Bass lifted him over his shoulder. Smoke burned his eyes and lungs. Charlie stood to follow, but stumbled and fell, clutching her injured leg. 

As Bass looked back, water splashed through the doorway beating back the fire and Jason appeared. “

Give him to me and get her!”

Bass passed Dillon off to the other man, then bent and gathered Charlie in his arms. He felt the blood coating his hands, warm and slick. 

“Bass,” Charlie gasped. 

“Stay with me, Charlie. I need you,” he begged as he burst through the door, fresh air caressing his face just before a loud explosion roared from behind him, slamming him to the ground. He rolled keeping his weight off of Charlie but still protecting her body with his own from shards of wood and ash. 


	7. Chapter 7

**One month later**

The entire Monroe family was gathered around the table for lunch the day after Angie’s wedding. She and her new husband were headed off to their honeymoon in a few hours and Cindy and her family were headed home tomorrow. 

After the attack at the cabin, Charlie had been whisked away to the Monroe farm to recover after a few days in the hospital. The wound in her leg had taken both surgery and physical therapy to put her back together. 

And Bass had been there every step of the way, helping out with Chloe and running Charlie to doctor’s appointments and fending off her family. 

They’d had a few emotional conversations and there had been some stolen kisses along the way, but with the wedding, there never seemed to be a lot of private time to talk about their future.

Now, finally, things would get back to normal. Charlie vowed to talk to Bass tomorrow. 

As if reading her thoughts, Bass reached under the table to squeeze her hand

“Well, if everyone’s finished then,” Bill said, pushing back his chair. “It’s my turn to do dishes.” 

As everyone began to help clear the table, Charlie grabbed a few baby wipes to clean up Chloe’s hands and face. Dropping a kiss to the top of the girl's head, she removed her bib surprised to see a pacifier string attached to her dress. 

“Where did this come from?” Charlie asked the baby, who grinned up at her showing off her four baby teeth. 

She pulled on the string, drawing it through her fingers till she reached the end. Instead of a pacifier, there was a diamond ring. Charlie’s mouth dropped open as a familiar hand came into view unclipping the string from Chloe’s dress.

“I know we haven’t been dating long, but since I’ve known you your entire life that should count for something.”

As Bass lowered himself to one knee in front of her, his entire family behind him, tears filled Charlie’s eyes. 

“I’ve adored you since the moment I first laid eyes on you, Charlotte. You are stubborn, brave, and strong.” 

“Yes,” Charlie said, not letting him finish, “yes, I’ll marry you.” 

“And impatient,” Bass smiled, slipping the ring onto her finger, as the room broke out into cheers. Pushing to his feet, he brushed his mouth against hers. 

Reaching out, he took Chloe from her chair, holding her in his strong arms. “I love you, Charlie. I love you both”, he said holding them both close. 

With a sigh, Charlie sank against him, safe in his arms.

~end


End file.
